WASHINGTON - Forget Jeb or George Prescottor any of the other political men in the Bush family. Lynne Cheney says the next Bush president should be a woman.

Cheney said some people think former first lady Sen. Hillary Clinton should run for president, but she's looking to the current first lady, Laura Bush, instead.

"I think Mrs. Bush ought to run for president," Cheney joked during an interview with CNN's Larry King Live scheduled to air yesterday. "If we want to have a Bush dynasty, let's get Laura Bush."

Cheney sat for the interview with her husband, Vice President Cheney, who said he had no plans to run for president or any other office after he puts in his eight years with President Bush. "I've got other things I'd like to go do," he said.

A song for the veterans

MISSOULA, Mont. - A song honoring veterans will open the Operation Homecoming USA concert in Branson, Mo., next month.

Singer-songwriter Paulette Carlson, the former lead singer of the group Highway 101, returned to Nashville six weeks ago to record the song, "Thank You Vets." She said she ended up recording a complete album in 11 days.

Carlson said the inspiration for her song was her brother, Gary, a Vietnam veteran now suffering a debilitating illness contracted during his tour of duty.

Operation Homecoming USA, which will be held June 13-19, also plans to feature performances by the Beach Boys, the Fifth Dimension, theSupremes andthe Oak Ridge Boys. The Doobie Brothers, Creedence Clearwater Revisited andTony Orlando also are to perform, Carlson said.

"It's the national homecoming we never gave our Vietnam vets," she said.

A Commander's Cross for Webber

BUDAPEST, Hungary - Hungary's prime minister yesterday bestowed a national honor on British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, praising his support of Hungarian culture.

Ferenc Gyurcsany awarded Lloyd Webber the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit.

Lloyd Webber came to Budapest for the Hungarian premiere of his musical The Beautiful Game. The musical opened in London in 2000 and ran there for about a year.

"One just cannot understand the culture of our days without knowing the musicals of Lloyd Webber," Gyurcsany said. "His music binds people who live in faraway places."

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